


Mixed Drink

by backtothestart02



Series: 25 Days of Westallen Fanfiction [11]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Romance, Sexual Tension, Smut, bad boy!Barry Allen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2019-09-26 20:35:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17148677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backtothestart02/pseuds/backtothestart02
Summary: AU - Two strangers meet in a bar. One spells danger, the other, desperation.*Written for Day 12 and 13 of 25 Days of Westallen Fanfiction





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Day 12 of my 25 Days of Westallen Fanfiction event. Enjoy. 
> 
> *Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

She twirled the small straw in her drink, wondering how she’d wound up in this bar again after two weeks of solemnly swearing she would never return. When the green olive slipped down the straw with a plop, splattering some of the alcohol onto her hand, she realized she would always know the answer to that question. She sighed and stuck the olive back onto the tiny straw, lifting it to her lips to swallow it whole. Her luck being what it was, the olive slipped off the straw again before it reached her lips and tumbled onto the floor, leaving a wet trail down her uncovered arm and a dark spot on her cotton dress before settling on the tile next to her stool.

“Need another?” the bar tender asked, suddenly before her. He’d either witnessed the event or assumed she’d eaten it while he was otherwise occupied. Not that he could have been. The place was dead tonight.

_Of course it’s dead, Iris. You know the nights it’s busy and the nights it isn’t, and you didn’t want to get hit on tonight. It’s not flattering anymore. It’s annoying._

She shook her head at the bartender.

“No. Thanks.”

He pursed his lips and nodded, slipping away to the other end of the bar to make sure his inventory was where it needed to be. He knew her, and he knew she wasn’t intending to be rude with her bark. She just needed to be left alone. That’s why she came tonight. She needed to forget too. That’s why she was on her third glass of vodka and annoyed that she was holding her liquor so well.

_Maybe you should go home, Iris. Oh, wait. You don’t have a home to go back to. You have no family in town – not that they’d take you in anyway. You’re the black sheep. And your roommate just kicked you out, threatened to call her big, buff brother who can’t stand you if you were so much as spotted out the front window. Oh, and you’re broke so you can’t afford a hotel room._

She thought about asking how late the dim-lit bar was open, but there was no point.

1 a.m. It was nearly midnight.

Carelessly tossing the miniature straw to the side, Iris lifted her glass to her lips and swallowed a good portion of it down. Another drink wasn’t happening tonight. She had just enough money in her wallet for the three.

She could ask the bartender if he could put her up for the night. He was a solid guy who wouldn’t take advantage of her and she presumed he had a couch.

But she didn’t want him to get comfortable with her being in his space. It was one thing to spill all your troubles to a handsome stranger behind a bar. It was quite another to sleep on his couch because said troubles had left you without a home.

Her ears pricked at the sound of the door to the bar opening and closing. It was a distinct sound accompanied by a rush of wind. December was cruel to Central City. But the chill faded when the door shut with a soft whoosh. She thought about turning around to see who it was but decided to wish whoever it was away. At the very least they could take whatever beverage they’d came for and sit at a table on the far side of the room. If they had the decency to do that she might not lash out.

She didn’t usually lash out, but tonight the only guy she didn’t hate was the bartender, and that was only because he was twenty-eight and looked fifteen. She couldn’t wound him any more than she could the brother who wouldn’t speak to her.

“Brandy,” the stranger said, a sexy rasp to his voice Iris couldn’t help but notice as his long coat brushed her backside when he came to sit behind her.

She was annoyed, for sure, but she was also intrigued. She didn’t lash out, and at one point she even moved a little bit closer.

The stranger turned to her when their elbows brushed. She could feel him checking her out without even looking at him, but he didn’t speak to her, and after a moment he was focused on the drink placed in front of him.

“Thanks,” he said to the bartender, who nodded when he handed over the cash required. “Keep the change,” he added, and Iris couldn’t help but snort. She hadn’t meant to do that out loud, but apparently she just couldn’t help herself.

“Very charitable of you,” she mumbled into her drink when he did nothing but stare at her.

“I don’t think we’ve met.”

She turned to look at him, ignoring the pooling heat forming between her legs.

“We haven’t.”

“I’m Barry.”

She said nothing, only took another sip of her drink.

“And you are?”

When she continued to say nothing, the bartender surprisingly stepped in.

“She’s Iris,” he paused a beat before adding. “And a regular.”

Iris glared at him, feeling betrayed and annoyed. It wasn’t the end of the world to pass on her real name, but the second bit hurt. She didn’t appreciate the reminder.

The bartender shrugged before moving away. She couldn’t stay mad even if she tried, but the fact that she was attracted to the handsome, new stranger made the public of her habits feel just shy of humiliating.

“Iris,” the stranger said, speaking the word as if he were tasting it on his tongue. “That’s a pretty name.” He tipped some of his drink into his mouth, savoring it.

“Is brandy your poison?” she reluctantly asked, trying to suppress her curiosity.

“Is Vodka yours?” he countered, raising an eyebrow.

_God, his eyes are gorgeous._

“It’s a bad habit.”

He smirked.

_Damn it._

“Habits are hard to break.”

“Easy to form though,” she said, turning towards him, pushing her elbow to the ledge so her cleavage was enhanced. She didn’t look away when he looked down at it.

“You looking to form a new one tonight?” he asked huskily, and she knew right then she was going to seduce him. He wasn’t even making it hard.

She leaned in oh so very close.

“Depends.” She checked him out, liking what she saw. “Is the handsome, new stranger up for it?”

Heat flowed off him in waves, concentrated in her direction from the direct line of his coat collar to the deep cut of her dress. One minute they were having eye sex, the next they were in the unisex bathroom having real sex on the sink and the toilet and against the wall, and when they finished, both half-dressed and panting on the floor, the stranger turned to look at her.

“My bed is a lot more comfortable than this floor.”

Iris had just started to think how she should’ve invited herself to his place before their clothes started coming off, but luckily, he had done it for her. The sultry, sexy stranger was likely a romantic at heart. Not that it mattered after tonight.

She got to her feet, dressing as she did so, and then looked down at him pointedly.

“Then lead the way, stranger,” she ordered. “But maybe get dressed first. I hear it’s a bit chilly outside.”

He smirked but did as she said. The door swung open by his hand in no time.

“After you, Miss West.”

She halted halfway out the door when she did that.

“You know me,” she said.

He shrugged, and she narrowed her eyebrows.

“How do you know me?” she demanded.

He pulled a small card out of his pocket, and when he handed it to her, she saw it was his wallet. Her eyes widened when she looked back up at him.

“You’re a _thief_.”

“I did some time for some petty thieving back when I was sixteen. I haven’t stolen since.” He smiled slowly. “Well, until tonight.”

She tensed.

“Still want to come home with me?”

She debated her options – go home with a criminal or freeze to death on the bench outside the door.

She was going to regret this, and she knew it.

“How much time?” she asked warily.

He raised his eyebrows, amused.

“One night in a jail cell.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“What did you steal?”

“A necklace for my dying mother.”

She analyzed him, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth. She supposed it didn’t matter, since all she needed was one night indoors.

“Does it matter if I’m telling the truth?” he asked, reading her mind.

She met his eyes, more alarmed than ever.

“Do you have a couch to sleep on?”

“Nope.” Her jaw dropped. “Just one very large, very comfortable bed.” He paused. “And a landline phone if you decide you need to call 9-1-1.”

“I have my own phone, thank you very mu-” She lost her voice as he pulled her phone out of his pocket and then held it out to her.

She snatched it back, unnerved.

“Is there anything you didn’t steal?” she barked.

He laughed. “Your dignity?” She fumed. “Pretty sure you gave that away all on your own.”

“I don’t have to listen to this.” She strutted away, furious and a little scared.

“Iris-” the bartender tried, but she ignored him, quickly slipping on her coat and heading straight for the door.

The handsome new stranger-slash-freak of nature-slash-criminal was close at her heels, and he closed in around her just before she could reach for the door. He lowered his lips to whisper in her ear, igniting all her senses.

“Everything I took from you I gave back. How’s that for redemption?”

She didn’t care. She wanted away from him _now_.

“You need a place to stay, don’t you?” he teased, letting his hand slide down the side of her body.

“You son of a-”

“Is everything okay?” The bartender started to come out from behind the bar.

“Everything’s fine,” the stranger said, pulling his hand away. He glanced over his shoulder. “She just needs a place to stay for the night, and she’d rather not stay with a stranger. Can you help her?”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” He came towards them and the stranger backed away, so he didn’t look quite so dangerous. “You can crash on my couch upstairs, Iris. I have some spare blankets and pillows you can use.”

She sighed inwardly and agreed with the voice in her head that said she better take this option _now_ , even if it hadn’t been ideal before.

“Thanks, Teddy, that’d be great.”

He smiled, reassuringly, then looked back at the stranger.

“Will you be staying for a while, Sir?”

_No, no, no, no. Please, God, no._

The stranger smiled both at Teddy and then at Iris.

“No, I think I’ve had enough fun for one evening.” He leaned in close to Iris’ ear and whispered, “Good night, Iris.”

Then he had walked around her and was out the door, and her breath was stolen from her.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Iris?” Teddy asked, clearly worried for her.

“Yeah, Teddy, I’m fi-”

“He didn’t do anything to you, did he?” he asked, surprising her by how protective he sounded suddenly.

She smiled serenely. “Nothing that I didn’t want him to do,” she said, which made him blush.

As she walked past him back into the bar, she knew it was the truth. Even with the bomb of him doing time and stealing vital things right under her nose, which should and definitely _did_ scare her, in the moment she felt a thrill.

Unlike most girls, she’d never been particularly drawn to the bad boys. But thinking back on their encounter, she now understood the appeal. She bit her bottom lip as she slid herself back onto the stool _he_ ’d abandoned. The warmth had long dissipated, but the memory kept her feeling hot.

“Do you need another drink, Iris?” Teddy ventured. “It’ll be on me.”

She met his eyes and tried to suppress the suggestive grin summoned from her memories.

“No thanks, Teddy,” she said politely. Then a sultry smirk emerged despite herself. “But I will take an olive.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Day 13 of my 25 Days of Westallen Fanfiction event. 
> 
> *Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

When Iris woke up the next morning, she could hear the low buzz of soft snoring coming from down the hall and the distinct dripping from a sink not all the way shut off from either the bathroom or the sink. The sound had been easy enough to tune out when she was too drunk to care but waking up with a major hangover including a migraine the size of Alaska made it impossible to ignore.

“Shut up,” she grumbled. When it continued, she tossed the small pillow she’d been given in the general direction of the sound. “Shut up!”

The snoring abruptly stopped, and she groaned, aware of what it meant. The sound of rustling sheets and drawers being opened and shut told her the friendly neighborhood bartender – and her host for the evening – had been woken up in the midst of her cries.

“Iris?” came the raspy voice, and she fell back onto the couch. “Is everything all right?”

She sighed and gestured to the sink. His brows furrowed, but apparently it registered what she was referring to because soon enough he was across the room and shutting off the sink all the way until the water stopped dripping and the sound stopped.

“Oh, _Heaven_.” She smiled blissfully, her eyes sliding shut.

“It probably would be good for you to drink some water though,” Teddy said, turning on the faucet again and filling a gup. Iris grimaced at the sound but relaxed when it had been shut off again.

Then he was in front of her, holding the half-full glass for her to take, and she was obliged to open her eyes and drink some of the beverage.

“Mmm. Tasty.”

“It’s water.”

She blinked, then her eyes narrowed.

“Maybe I should whip something up for you,” he said, returning to the kitchen.

She snorted and set the glass of water on the coffee table she’d run into more than once when they first entered his little apartment.

“It’s a little too early for alcohol, Theodore,” she mocked. “Even for me.”

Unthwarted, Teddy pulled out some ingredients.

“Not alcohol, Iris. A hangover cure.”

She propped her elbow on the top of the couch and turned to look at him, her head resting in her hand.

“I’m listening.”

“Well, I won’t tell you what’s in it,” he said. “Then you won’t drink it. But trust me, I know what I’m doing. This will cure that throbbing pain and inevitable puking like nothing you’d ever tried before.”

Just the mention of puking made her want to gag, but Iris grabbed the glass of water and downed it instead, hoping it would keep the bile at bay.

“Did they teach you all this in bartending school?” she asked, amused.

To that he smirked and brought the newly mixed drink over to her.

“No, this I learned from being a college student.”

She didn’t want to think about how young that made him compared to her, if he’d graduated yet or not. So she took the drink and take several long sips, telling herself to not imagine what could be in it.

“You can stay as long as you want,” he said, taking her empty glass from the table with him back to the kitchen. “But I have to leave. If you’re still here when I get back, we can get something to eat.”

Iris set the glass down. She watched him for a while, trying to figure out his motive.

“Why are you doing this, Teddy?” she finally asked. “You hardly know me.”

He put the glass away and pulled out some milk and cereal.

“That’s not true at all, and you know it.” He continued when she tried to interject. “You come in three times a week and pour out your troubles to me as I pour you glass after glass, as long as you’ll pay for it and you can walk straight enough to make it to the door. Whether you remember it or not, I know just about everything about you except where you used to live and where you work.”

“Worked,” she muttered under her breath.

His brows furrowed, and she realized she must’ve not gotten drunk enough to tell him.

“Want to talk about it?” he asked, pouring the milk into his bowl of cereal.

She sighed. “Teddy.”

“Look, I know I’m just a bartender to you, but you’re not just another customer to me. I care about you. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you. In a lot of ways…you remind me of my sister.”

She rolled her eyes. _Oh, great._

With some willpower, she forced herself to her feet, wobbling a little. Teddy halted what he was doing to focus entirely on her.

“Listen, Teddy, I appreciate what you’ve done for me, what you do for me on a pretty regular basis. I’m glad for the couch and the hangover cure, but I’m not gonna be your charity case.”

“Iris, you’re not.”

She held her hand up to silence him.

“Now, I’m gonna go into the bathroom and freshen up, and then I’m going to leave. I might be back at the bar tonight or in a few days or never again, but I don’t want you to be worrying about me, okay? I’ll be fine. Just…focus on your classes. Be a good college student and graduate on time.”

He looked conflicted, but he apparently couldn’t think of anything to say before Iris left him spellbound as she walked into the bathroom and the glorious hot, steaming water of the half-decent shower.

She heard the front door close before she got out of the bathroom, and told herself to be grateful, but alone in the apartment, drying her hair on a hopefully clean towel, Iris felt very distinctly alone.

She shook the feeling off though and went to retrieve her phone. Beneath it was a piece of paper with Teddy’s number and a message to call him if she ever needed anything – the ‘anything’ being underlined twice.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” she muttered but stuffed the piece of paper into her coat pocket anyway. He’d probably try to track her down if there was any evidence that she hadn’t taken his advice when he returned.

_Nice excuse, Iris._

She headed straight for the door and locked it behind her, determined to forget the night before just as she had so many others. When she stepped into the hall though, her phone started to buzz.

Her brows furrowed as she dug into her pocket to see who was trying to get a hold of her. She couldn’t think of anybody who cared a damn about her other than Teddy after last night.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the name spread across her screen.

**Handsome Stranger.**

“No way.”

She opened the text and saw the message sprawled across.

**Good morning, Beautiful.**

“He has some nerve,” she muttered, then rapidly returned the nonchalant greeting.

**_Who the hell is this?_ **

**Do you always wake up this way or do I get special treatment?**

She fumed.

**_Wrong number_.**

**I’ll be at the coffee shop on 8 th Street and Dilbourn. Meet me in 15 minutes. I’m buying**.

She wasn’t going to do it.

She _wasn’t_ going to do it.

Her stomach grumbled beneath her rumpled dress, and she knew her willpower just wasn’t strong enough this morning.

 _Damn it_.

…

Barry smirked when she walked into the shop, unable contain himself when his eyes traveled down her figure, taking in the clothes he’d stripped off her in the bar’s bathroom the night before.

It was definitely her.

He waited a while before getting her attention, thoroughly enjoying the way she huffed on her way to him. He didn’t stand up to greet her. He only sat there, a big grin on his face, his hands folded in his lap as she glared down at him.

“Well?” he asked innocently. “What will it be?”

She was silent a few moments more and then listed off a very detailed, very fancy drink, a couple pastries, and a breakfast sandwich.

“You’re lucky they have variety,” he said, amused as he stood to his feet.

“I’ve been here before,” she said, tossing her hair over his shoulder.

He said nothing, only continued to grin as he moved past her and went to the counter to put in the order.

He turned his back to the counter and leaned against it after he’d made the order and paid for it. He watched her sit there, looking tense as ever and the complete opposite of how she’d been when he’d first seen her. Last night she had looked annoyed with life and annoyed with him, but that had morphed into a sexiness that radiated off her the moment she decided to seduce him.

It wasn’t an unusual occurrence – women trying to lure him in for a quick shag in the nearest secluded location. Though her reasoning clearly went beyond the physical. She’d had nothing but her driver’s license and her phone on her when he quickly sifted through her belongings. So either she didn’t go around carrying much, or she had quite possibly hit rock bottom and needed a place to stay for the night. He’d assumed the latter and he’d been right.

“Barry?”

The sound of his own name behind him alerted him to the order being ready. He lazily turned around, grabbed the purchased items and shot the cashier a thousand-watt smile and a thank you before returning to the table.

“As requested,” he said, setting the items before her.

She opened the bag and eyed everything meticulously, obviously trying to decide if she should tell him everything was wrong and make him re-purchase what she had _actually_ wanted.

She looked up at him and waited.

“All good?”

She sniffed airily, as if to show she was too good for him. He tried hard not to laugh.

“It’ll do,” she said, and then lost no time inhaling the food while she waited for her coffee to cool.

He didn’t comment on how clearly hungry she was, only took the seat across from her and watched her as she ate, occasionally glancing out the window to watch the people walking on the sidewalk and across the street. Her moans of satisfaction from the consumed food reminded him of the moans he’d elicited from her when he fucked her into the dingy tiles in the bar’s bathroom, and he shifted slightly to control his hard-on.

“So,” she saved finally, taking a sip of her drink after her food had been thoroughly devoured. “Why the invitation? What made you decide to feed me?”

He met her eyes, still amused at her behavior.

“You seemed like you needed it.”

She eyed him suspiciously.

“Why’d you meet me?” He leaned forward. “Weren’t you scared I might steal something from you again?”

“I was hungry,” she returned.

“And hunger overrides safety is that it? The promise of food is too tempting to ignore?” he teased.

She folded her arms.

“You already stole everything you wanted last night, and you gave it back, so it must be useless to you.”

He smirked and slowly rubbed his foot against her calf under the table.

“Not _everything_ was useless.”

 _Incredible_ , he thought, when it took her a full ten seconds to pull away from him and stand to her feet.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“Feeding you, I thought.”

“Don’t ignore what just happened. I’m not a complete idiot.”

He looked up at her innocently. “You think I’m trying to seduce you?”

“I know the tricks. You’re not subtle.”

He stood to his feet.

“Neither are you.”

They stood staring at each other, the tension building until he was certain either one of two things was going to happen. She would either huff and walk out of there, possibly deleting his number from her phone and blocking him. Or she’d jump him, and he’d be grateful once again that there weren’t too many customers using the unisex bathroom in the coffee shop.

The click of the lock behind them and the drop of her coat on another dirty, tile floor were nothing compared to the taste of coffee on her tongue as she pulled him down to her with a reckless, passionate kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is in DEMAND on tumblr. Whew. So, here's two chapters for you right away! Enjoy!
> 
> *Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing. :)

She watched as he dressed himself, biting her bottom lip before the last of his ass disappeared beneath his pants. Despite her best efforts, despite everything screaming inside her that she could not afford one more bad decision, she’d gone and slept with a criminal not once, but twice – and the second time she’d known he had a bit of a record. She restrained a sigh and focused on the present. She’d worry about the implications of this in the future later. After all, she was very good at beating herself up. The only thing that would truly annoy her was the look Teddy would give her the second she walked into the bar later on, which was inevitable at this point.

“Like what you see?” Barry teased, zipping up his pants and facing her after he’d slipped his head and arms back through his shirt.

Iris flushed, feeling a tingle between her folds just from the sound of his voice. _Curse him_. Low and velvet and the perfect drawl, it was completely her undoing.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked casually, coming to stand beside her so he could check his appearance in the mirror.

Her eyebrows narrowed, and she remembered exactly why she didn’t take a liking to him when he wasn’t gazing lustfully at her or standing before her naked or kissing her or…

“No.” She stopped her mind from wandering into recent memories.

“No?” he asked, amused. “No, you don’t have plans or no, you won’t tell me what they are?” She opened her mouth to answer, but he interrupted. “Or no, you don’t know what your plans are because your future is a mess and you’d prefer I fuck you through Sunday to make you forget about just how far down you’ve fallen in your life?”

_Well…_

“Asshole,” she whispered harshly instead, though she certainly wouldn’t mind a few more orgasms to get her mind off her disastrous present; especially the kind he gave her, because _damn_.

“Just a question,” he said innocently, straightening out his shirt and then glancing at her. She still looked angry. “So, what’s the answer?”

“The answer is none of your business,” she spat.

“I bet I could get it out of you in bed,” he whispered seductively, leaning towards her. She ignored the delicious shivers ripping up her spine.

“You are unbelievable!” She pushed past him and out the door, ignoring his lingering stare on her backside.

Relieved and disappointed that she’d successfully gotten rid of him once she was a block away, Iris realized – regretfully – that she’d left her phone at the coffee shop.

 _Or maybe he’d stolen it_ , she thought bitterly. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.

She stopped, turned around and found herself staring at him just outside the shop, waving her phone in his hand.

 _Ugh_. She hated herself. _How could one person possibly be this much of a mess?_

Reluctantly, she trudged forward and tried to snatch the phone out of his hand, but he used her impatience to wrap his fingers around her hand, and for a moment she truly thought he was going to dance with her. Here, in the middle of the sidewalk outside one of her favorite coffee shops.

“Let go,” she demanded, trying to yank her hand free – and the phone with it.

“Mmm, not really feeling it, actually.”

She huffed and gave up the fight, grinding her teeth. “Why. Not?”

“Let’s just say…” He took the tiniest of steps closer. “I don’t want to let you out of my sight just yet.”

She raised her eyebrows, appearing amused even though her heart was racing.

“You’re just one bad –” He raised his eyebrows. “Two bad decisions,” she clarified. “Both of which I’m done with. So, if you don’t mind?”

He relented – amazingly – and she nearly fell back as the lack of resistance left her a bit unbalanced. He caught her, of course. And the warmth of his arm around her waist nearly made her lose her breath.

 _Damn_ , she wished she hadn’t burned so many bridges. It would be so good to confide in her roommate about this…this guy that set her on fire the way no other man had.

“T-Thank you,” she said, standing evenly on her feet after he’d let go of her.

“I know a way you can thank me,” he said.

“No,” she immediately retorted.

“Calm down,” he placated, despite the return of her narrowed eyebrows. “Maybe I just want to show you around.”

“Aren’t you new to town?”

“Aren’t you so absorbed in all your problems that you haven’t really taken the time to see what Central City has to offer?”

She blinked.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He whistled for a cab, which came to a stop right beside them.

“Wait, Barry, no-”

He opened the door for her.

“Oh, look, you remembered my name.”

With a sigh and a glance and a brief complaint from the cab driver, Iris reluctantly slid into the backseat.

Barry wasn’t even touching her, but she could feel the heat rising off his pant leg and wondered how in the world she was going to survive even an hour without jumping him again.

He caught her gaze at just the right time – when she was licking her lips and eyeing his crotch – and smiled slowly.

“Plenty of time for that,” he said, making her go wide-eyed and turn away.

“Where to?” the cabbie asked, now a good way into the next block.

“Jitters.”

She frowned. “ _Another_ coffee shop?”

“You know it?” he asked, intrigued.

“I worked there in high school and college. Paid my tuition with those paychecks.”

“Time well spent, then.”

She thought back on when her boyfriend of three years had dumped her in front of a room full of customers who had gone quiet, and how every job she’d used her major for had ended in her voluntarily leaving or getting fired.

She said nothing.

“It’s not about the coffee shop,” he whispered, leaning close. “It’s about what’s above it.”

“Offices?” she guessed half-heartedly.

“The roof.”

A vision of the two of them standing wrapped in each other’s arms, gazing out at the view of the city flashed before her eyes. She felt butterflies exploding inside her, not to mention her panties dampening again.

“Oh,” she said – and made a point of looking out the opposite window until they got there.

She could feel him smiling from his side of the car, but no amount of money in the world would get her to indulge his twisted humor.

“Are you staying with Theodore again tonight?” he asked innocently when they were a block away from Jitters.

Her mouth fell open. _Was he jealous?_

“I- N- Maybe.” She abandoned truth for lie. He deserved to feel conflicted after all he’d done to her.

The cab came to a stop, and Barry paid the driver before getting out and rounding the vehicle to help her out of the car. She thought of snatching her hand away and declaring her independence but decided that if he wanted to be gentlemanly, then why the hell should she deny him?

“You won’t want to by the time I’m done with you,” he said, as he guided her into Jitters.

She looked amused. “Because of all the sex?”

He smirked. “Because of the view.”

She didn’t understand what he meant by that, but one thing she was certain of: in all her years working at Jitters, she sincerely regretted never coming up to the roof.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

…

Iris leaned her elbows back against the stone wall, staring out at the city once more before meeting Barry’s mysterious gaze.

“So, what’s the occasion?” she asked.

He had the nerve to look confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well.” She pushed herself off the wall and started coming towards him. “Sex twice-”

“ _Consensual_ sex,” he corrected.

“Consensual,” she allowed before continuing. “Tracking me down for breakfast-”

“ _Inviting_ you to breakfast.”

“A _free_ breakfast.”

He smirked. “A free one.”

“And now a ride across town to see one of the best views in the city. What’s your game, ex-con Barry?”

His eyes narrowed in a sudden, unexpected spurt of anger before it dissolved.

“No game. Just wanted to show a pretty girl a good time.” He smirked again.

“Oh, yeah, just that,” she said, amused. “Except this pretty girl is broke, homeless, unemployed, and an alcoholic.”

“We all have our baggage.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “What’s yours?”

“Ah-ah-ah, you don’t know me well enough to get that information.”

She’d stopped, so came to meet her halfway.

“You mean, there’s something other than stealing in your checkered past.”

He said nothing, but cupped her face with one hand, then leaned down and kissed her. It didn’t escalate. It was sweet. And Iris hummed contently when it was over before opening her eyes into his.

“You’re beautiful, Iris West,” he whispered softly.

She sighed aloud despite herself. God, how she wished this was real. She had nothing going for her, but to have a charming stranger giving her his undivided attention in the best way would be a great thing to hold onto.

Still, reality was hammering away in the back of the mind, reminding her of everything she’d lost and that she’d probably lose this too if she fought too hard to hang onto it.

“When are you leaving town?”

He raised his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m leaving?”

Her heart leapt into her throat, but she forcefully shoved it back down.

“Just a feeling.”

He stared at her for a while before answering.

“At the end of the week.”

She took a step back and returned to the wall, trying to get her bearings.

“I’m an idiot,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’ll be back next month, though,” he said, coming up behind her. She refused to look at him as he lowered his lips to her ear and kissed the top of the shell. “And the month after that. And the month after that. And the month after that…”

“On business?” she asked, weakening from his touch.

“Something like that.”

She turned around and found herself immediately in his embrace, his hands lightly gripping her waist.

“You like me, Barry?”

“Oh, yeah.” He smirked. “From the moment I saw you.”

She hesitated. “What is it…that you do exactly? What are you in town for?”

“Mm…can’t tell you that. It’s classified.”

She frowned.

“I can tell you it’s legal, though.”

She was doubtful, but the small fire lighting in her said maybe he was telling the truth.

“Can I trust you?”

“Absolutely.”

She sighed. “Can you tell me _anything_ about yourself?”

“Hmmm,” he contemplated, drumming some of his fingers on her back. Then his eyes lit up. “I know.”

“What?” she searched his eyes, hating the thrill that was pumping through her.

“I’ve got a hotel room at the tallest building in the city.”

She rolled her eyes. _Thinking about sex again, I see_.

“The Charlton,” she acknowledged.

“Mhmm.” He began smoothing his hands over her lower back.

“What about it?” she asked, ignoring the excitement speeding down her spine and the implications of this entire conversation.

“It’s got an even better view than this one.”

“Of what? A bed?”

He chuckled, sounding sexier than ever.

“Sassy. But no. Of the city.” He could see the suspicion on her face refusing to remove itself. “It’s truly spectacular…” he teased, leaning forward.

“What’s your last name?” she asked, just before his lips brushed hers.

“Allen,” he said, surprising her by actually answering with something believable. “Bartholomew Henry Allen.”

“Bar _what_?”

But he kissed her, silencing the predictable question.

“If you come with me now, I’ll even let you google me.”

She was dumbfounded as he started to pull her towards the stairs in the center of the roof.

“Where are we going?”

“Shopping,” he said, sounding so chipper. Under other circumstances, Iris would have fought to suppress a giggle.

“Shopping? What do you need?”

“Not me. You. You’re going to need a fancy gown for the gala we’re going to tonight.”

She came to a sudden stop. “The what?”

He turned around. “It’s for my job. The reason I’m in town this week.”

She blinked.

“Come on,” he tugged her hand, and reluctantly she started walking again. “I don’t know a single female who doesn’t like getting a new dress for free.”

_For **free**?_

A smile tugged at her lips, because, well… Why the hell not?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Many thanks to sendtherain for beta'ing.

Iris’ jaw nearly hit the floor when the room beyond the cold metal doors came into view.

“How did you-” She turned to look at Barry, mouth still hanging open, and then promptly shut it. “I thought you were new to the city.”

“I am.”

“Hardly anyone knows about this place. Most people order online and get it delivered to them by UPS. This is like…a warehouse.” She looked around the glittering room. “A very gorgeous, clean, modern warehouse.”

“I may have done some research.”

“ _When_?” she demanded, eyes narrowed.

He held out his bent arm to her.

“Does it matter?”

She told herself that yes, it _did_ matter, a _lot_. But he was acting so charming and gentlemanly – and hadn’t hinted at sex for the last ten minutes – that she found herself dismissing it for the time being. Especially in a store as dazzling as this one.

Barry smiled smugly, which made her roll her eyes, but still she allowed him to guide her to the formal dress section. She stopped immediately when she got there, and her mouth fell open again. Everything she could see was stunning – absolutely stunning.

“You sure you want to pay for something here?” she blurted out. Because these clothes had to be more expensive than anything she’d ever owned in her life.

This time his smile was tender as he looked at her.

“Absolutely.”

Hesitant to take another step forward, Barry nudged her gently to loosen her up before tugging her in the direction of the most expensive dresses.

“Come on, Iris. It’s on my dime, and I can afford it. Live a little.”

She blew some locks out of her face.

_What in the **world** does this guy do for a living?_

A woman stepped forward out of the dressing room along the far wall.

“Mr. Allen,” she greeted warmly, and Iris immediately bristled. She couldn’t figure out why until it hit her moments later that the woman was swaying her hips more than was necessary as she led them to the dresses Barry had apparently picked out ahead of time.

_Oh, God. Am I possessive of him already? Jealous, **already**?_

“Here, try this one on,” Barry suggested after the woman had left.

It was a long, form-hugging silk one in a pretty silver color, with straps hanging lightly off the shoulders and a diamond clasp in the center of the top hem of the dress.

“I’ve got a few more when you’re done. We can always look for more if you’re not sure of any of them. Once you’ve gotten a dress you love, we’ll move on to the shoes and shawls. It’ll be a little chilly at the gala tonight with the air conditioning on.”

Shaking her head, she took the dress and headed for the dressing room. She stopped suddenly when a thought occurred to her. She spun halfway around and opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to the punch.

“And jewelry and make-up, and an updo that will make every woman there envious of the goddess on my arm.”

Heat flooded her face, so she turned around and began walking towards the dressing room again to avoid him seeing just how flustered she was by his comments.

Compliments, rather.

“He sure knows how to make a girl blush,” she muttered to herself once behind closed doors.

She took a couple deep breaths and waited till her racing heartbeat slowed back to a normal pace. Then she looked at herself in the center mirror and pressed the dress lightly against her front to see how it might look.

 _It is pretty_ , she thought to herself.

She thought too of the look in Barry’s eyes once he saw her in this dress. Lustful, no doubt, but honestly, she was starting to miss that. No man had ever looked at her quite like he had. And he hadn’t even been the one doing the seducing. Nope, that had been all her.

How desperate she must’ve looked, jumping on him like that, caving to her desire so quickly. Her circumstances were pretty dire at the moment. What must he think of her?

The possibilities gnawed at her, making her feel small and insecure, until a knock sounded at the door.

“Yes?” she asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

“You need any help in there?” his sexy voice answered, and she melted on the spot.

“No, I, uh, think I can handle it on my own.”

“You _sure_?” he teased, drawing the word out. “I’m pretty good with my hands.”

She laughed. “No arguing that.”

The knob started to turn on the door, and she promptly stopped it.

“I said I can handle it.”

He sighed loudly.

“Now go sit down. I’ll let you know if I need any ‘help’.”

“Fine,” he said on another sigh and walked over to the chairs by the doorway.

After a couple minutes of struggling to get the dress zipped up, and absolutely refusing to ask Barry for help – because then she’d never get past the first dress – she turned the knob herself and came into view, smirking the second Barry caught sight of her.

He got to his feet, shutting his mouth the second he caught her staring at him in amusement. But damn if she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Is this the one?” she asked, turning around to reveal the low cut with the short zipper.

 _So easy to unzip_. She smiled to herself when she faced away.

“It damn well could be,” he admitted, unable to take his eyes off her. Then, somehow, he shook himself out of it. “But you should try on _all_ the dresses,” he said, determined to get a hold of himself. “Before I rip this one off of you,” he said quietly, huskily, hungrily.

Iris could only nod in response. “O-Okay.”

She walked passed him to try on the other dresses, but in the end it was a sparkling bronze number that tied around the back of her neck, enhancing her cleavage and sporting a slit up to the middle of her thigh, that he inwardly begged  for her to like best.

She sighed, faking uncertainty as she looked at herself in the mirror and caught his drooling expression behind her.

“I just…I don’t know…”

“ _Iris_ ,” he rasped, and she turned around and burst into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, her eyes darkening. “It’s the one.”

…

No sooner had the door opened than Iris found herself drawn to the far side of the room with her hands pressed against the glass.

“I told you it was a good view,” he said, smirking as he shut the door behind them.

He walked over to the closet to hang Iris’ dress beside his tux and placed her other items of choice around them accordingly. Then he joined Iris at the window.

“I’ve never been up here.”

“Really?” he asked, apparently surprised. “Not even for one of your stories?”

She looked over at him, stunned. Though in hindsight she knew she shouldn’t have been. After a moment, she relaxed and raised one eyebrow.

“You did do your homework.”

He shrugged, then his own shoulders relaxed.

 _Why_ , she wondered, _was he suddenly nervous that he might scare her off?_

“Part of the job description,” he said.

Her eyebrows narrowed.

“A job you won’t tell me anything about,” she reminded him.

He tsk’d at her, then let a gentle smile spread across his face.

“A man is more than his job, Iris. Just like you’re more than yours.”

“Is that your way of saying this isn’t a pity date?”

“Who said this was a date?” he teased, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in close.

Her mouth went dry.

He lowered his face, so his nose brushed against hers, and whispered, “Yes,” against her skin.

Iris’ arms snaked up around his neck as she murmured something unintelligible. Then, arching up onto her tiptoes, she kissed him.

It was just three Barry-sized steps to the bed.

…

When they walked into the ballroom at 7 o’clock that night – after an afternoon of room service, massages, and love-making - Barry and Iris were not only dazzled with the room before them, but also with each other.

It was hard for Iris to remember how opposed she’d been to this man only that morning. He was probably fooling her, being the player he’d likely been his whole life, and here she was telling herself that there could be no other girls if she saw none. She’d even deliberately not watched to see if he’d been checking out the retail employee earlier that day. She didn’t want to ask questions she might not like the answers to.

It was a little unbelievable that some free clothes and light wooing on a rooftop had turned sexual attraction into something deeper for her. Then again maybe it was just lust. Or maybe it was curiosity. His ability to keep anything regarding his job a secret for her was gnawing at her investigative journalist tendencies.

How she longed to report something of quality. Unfortunately, her attempt to do so after the third warning not to choose her own assignments had ended up in a suspension and then termination.

She supposed it was foolish and irrational, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to write about something that _mattered_.

And Patty, sweetheart that she was who would never hurt a fly, finally lost all her patience when she heard of Iris’ newly established unemployment. She sympathized, of course, but when Iris tried to explain the situation and Patty heard nothing but the same-old, same-old, she ordered her to leave. And Iris, shocked to the core that this angel of a human being would do such a thing, went without question. The door slamming behind her as she left nearly scared her to death.

She knew Patty just needed time, and that she would regret her actions. The two women didn’t have much in common, but they were both good, decent people trying to survive the wild world of law enforcement and the search for the truth. Patty’s field just happened to be keener on the serious issues than Iris’ was. Most of the time.

And Iris did feel bad. Patty would soon have to go apartment-hunting too if she couldn’t find another roommate to cover the costs of rent and utilities.

It was just a mess that Iris didn’t want to think about. Which was precisely what she’d gone and done every second since she’d been kicked out. Until Barry walked into her life. With the exception of the morning after hangover she’d endured above the bar at Teddy’s, she’d done little _but_ think of Barry. Whether it was in a negative or positive light, she was still thinking of him. And she was going to continue to do so until at least the next morning when reality sank in again.

It was only Tuesday, though, and Barry had said he was staying in town until the end of the week.

Maybe he wouldn’t mind sharing his hotel room with her during that time?

_What? Are you going steady with him now, Iris?_

She rolled her eyes, punishing her inner self for her dreams, when Barry interrupted her by whispering the sweetest words into her ears.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the room tonight, Iris.”

Heat spread into her cheeks, but she wasn’t embarrassed. She was happy. She turned to look into his eyes and saw such adoration there she had to blink to make sure it was real. It didn’t go away. His fingers intertwined with hers, and for all intents and purposes, Iris truly felt like they were the only two people in the world.

“Thank you,” she finally whispered in response, and he smiled, lifting her hand to his lips for him to kiss.

She was thinking of other places he’d kissed earlier in the day and the night before, but she put a stop to it quickly. She’d never be able to focus on the task at hand, which was being a professional plus one at his work-related gala. She couldn’t be pulling him away to make out with him in a quiet, abandoned, far away hall. If they got caught, he would be in trouble – It might even end his career.

“Allen!”

They both turned at the sound of Barry’s last name, and Barry’s demeanor immediately changed.

“It’s my boss. Come on.”

His _boss_?

But she went along anyway, forcing herself to keep up with him in her high, high heels.

“Sir,” Barry greeted, then turned to Iris. “Iris, this is my supervisor, Mr. Draeger.”

“Kevin,” the man corrected, then warmly and firmly shook Iris’ hand. After their hands dropped, he sent a suspicious look Barry’s way. “Where on earth did you find her?” he asked, skeptical.

Barry shrugged, unworried in the slightest. “Where do all men find the women of their dreams?”

She gasped, not registering that they’d met in a dingey bar.

“A little forward for a first date, isn’t it, Bartholomew?” Kevin asked, his voice going low.

Iris felt the tension building and cut in.

“Who says it’s a first date?” she asked.

Kevin glanced at her. “I think I know my employees well enough to-”

“Know who they’re seeing romantically?” she pushed. “Or sexually.”

His eyes widened. “Gutsy girl you’ve got there, Allen.”

“That girl is standing right here,” she interrupted. “And she wants to dance with her man.”

Both men’s jaws were hanging open by this point, but Iris only addressed Barry.

“Shall we?” she asked, and he nodded subtly, not looking back at his boss for a moment as Iris led him onto the dance floor.

“You’re incredible,” he said, pulling her close as they started the waltz.

“I couldn’t let him talk to you like that.”

“He’s my _boss_.”

“And I’m your _date_. Remember?”

He smirked, then slowly allowed his hand to lower a few inches down her back. Iris put on a good show, but he’d felt her delicious shivers.

“How could I forget?”


End file.
